8/15/2007

Hurricane Flossie, shown as it neared the state yesterday, weakened to a tropical storm last night, with winds of 70 mph. Forecasters expected the storm to further weaken today.

NOAA satellite image

Update:

Flossie was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm hours after sideswiping Hawaii's Big Island, turning its seas into roiling giant surf and soaking residents.

Flossie had delivered 30 minutes of steady rain to the small town of Naalehu on Tuesday night, and there was light rain Wednesday morning at Hilo International Airport, but there was little significant wind.

Tropical Storm WatchA tropical depression in the central Gulf of Mexico is churning toward South Texas today, its bands of thunderstorms expected to dump heavy rain in southeast Texas and along other parts of the coast beginning tonight, forecasters said.The satellite image shows the tropical depression forming in the central Gulf of Mexico at 10 p.m. Tuesday.